


(not such) An Easy Target

by aces_low



Series: The Ruby Ox and the Golden Boy [4]
Category: Real Person Fiction, 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV) RPF
Genre: (technically yes but let me live in this), Angst, Blood, But there is still some implied/threats of violence, Drug Use, Explicit Sexual Content, Friendship, Frottage, Gun Violence, Implied/Referenced Murder, Infidelity, Is it even an R&G verse story if Yibo doesn't get blood on his face?, Jealous Xiao Zhan, Jealousy, M/M, Mild Language, Minor Character Death, Murder, Overstimulation, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Yibo, Pre-Relationship, Sugar Baby Yibo, This one is shockingly light on the violence, handjobs, oversensitivity, possessive Xiao Zhan, protective Xiao Zhan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:07:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29522712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aces_low/pseuds/aces_low
Summary: In the aftermath of Luo Shuǐxi’s attempt on Xiao Zhan’s life, Xiao Zhan and his crew work to bring down the man who’d tried to have him killed. Yibo helps in his own way.No one is ever prepared for Yibo, least of all Xiao Zhan.
Relationships: Wang Yi Bo/Xiao Zhan | Sean, Wang Yibo/Original Characters
Series: The Ruby Ox and the Golden Boy [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2118360
Comments: 85
Kudos: 187





	(not such) An Easy Target

**Author's Note:**

> As always, please make sure to read Ruby & Gold first before this one, it’ll be nonsense to you otherwise. 
> 
> This fic takes place between the time Xiao Zhan and Yibo first hook up and when they get engaged. This is the aftermath of Luo Shuǐxi’s murder attempt on Xiao Zhan and Yibo becoming part of Xiao Zhan’s security team. Yibo, being who he is, decides he’s the best option to help take the guy down from the inside.
> 
> Please read the end notes for specific content warnings, specifically in regards to the Yibo/others tag if that’s something that might bother you.
> 
> This is not meant to be an accurate representation of Xiao Zhan, Wang Yibo or any other recognizable name.

“Where'd you get an outfit like that?”

Yibo leans further over the bar and grins at Seungyoun.

“Do you like it? Zhan-ge told me I could buy whatever I wanted, and the lady at the store said I would turn heads.”

Seungyoun rolls his eyes. 

“It’ll definitely get you noticed.”

“That’s what I’m hoping for,” Yibo says with a wink before he pulls himself off the bartop in order to look out into the room.

“You ever planning on telling me why you begged me to get you in here?” Seungyoun asks, looking over to where Yibo’s eyes have settled. 

He nearly groans when he sees what has caught Yibo’s focus. 

It’s no surprise that Qián Huíshùn, the owner of the bar, and the men who work for him, are here tonight, they come to drink and work at least twice a week. Yibo’s apparent interest in the group is troubling because Qián Huíshùn is not just some random club owner. 

It’d taken him over a month to realize that Yibo’s ‘Zhan-ge’ is none other than Xiao Zhan. Seungyoun isn’t part of that world, but he works at a bar run by one of the biggest bosses in the country, Seungyoun hears things. And he’s definitely heard of Xiao Zhan.

But Xiao Zhan is small time in comparison to Qián Huíshùn, so Yibo’s new interest in him is well beyond what he knows of the underworld, if Yibo starts spending time with Qián Huíshùn’s people he’ll be in way over his head.

Worse yet, if Xiao Zhan knows about what Yibo is doing, gave him money to look the way he does tonight, then that means he’s up to something, and using Yibo to do it.

“Do not go over there,” Seungyoun tells him, reaching across the bar to wave his hand in front of Yibo’s face.

Yibo pouts but doesn’t argue, just turns back around to take the drink Seungyoun had made him.

They catch up for a few minutes, before Seungyoun has to attend to other customers further down the bar. Yibo waves him away and assures him he’ll be there when he gets back.

When Seungyoun finally makes his way back over his stomach twists, not because Yibo is gone - true to his word he’d stuck to the bar - but he’s not alone.

Seungyoun should probably know the guy’s name by now, he comes in with Qián Huíshùn every single time, and is polite when he’s the one collecting the drinks. Being polite to the bartender isn’t enough for Seungyoun to feel any kind of ease at what he knows is one of Qián Huíshùn’s top guys, chatting up his friend, intentions written all over his face.

When Seungyoun approaches, the guy stops leering long enough to say, “he’ll take another one of those,” pointing to Yibo’s almost empty glass.

Seungyoun looks at Yibo who grins and nods, and Seungyoun sighs but gets to work on making the most watered down version of Yibo’s drink that he can.

He tries to listen in, but through the clinking of ice and glass, the chatter in the rest of the bar, and the low voices both the man and Yibo are using, Seungyoun can only make out a few words between them. It all sounds like a fairly standard pick up though, no mention of Qián Huíshùn or anything related, just overly flattering compliments that make Yibo preen and Seungyoun roll his eyes when he turns away.

Yibo glares at Seungyoun when he takes a sip of his new, barely alcoholic drink that Seungyoun sets in front of him. He doesn’t say anything about it though, just turns back to his new companion, glare sliding off his face to one that is somehow equal parts cute and seductive. Seungyoun really wishes Yibo wasn’t as good at that as he is.

To Seungyoun’s relief, Qián Huíshùn’s guy eventually lets his intense gaze leave Yibo to look back over at the group he’d come with. He’s clearly reluctant, but sighs and says, “I have to get going.”

Yibo pulls out his puppy dog eyes. It’s a look he’s mastered that can be so devastating that Seungyoun has found himself in the middle of some kind of questionable activity, or awake late into the night, or in the middle of making food that he has no intention of eating without even realizing he’d decided to after being on the other end of that look. So, he’s sympathetic when he notices the guy hesitate, clearly torn between his duty and the pretty boy at the bar. 

Eventually, duty wins out and he lets out a huff of breath as he tears himself away. 

“Put whatever he wants on my tab,” he says to Seungyoun, then turns back to Yibo. “I’ll call you.” 

He lets his hand linger on Yibo’s arm just a moment longer, falling away only when Yibo nods.

Yibo watches him walk away, and when he turns back to look at Seungyoun he has the most satisfied smirk Seungyoun has ever seen.

“This drink is terrible,” he says then, before Seungyoun can speak. “At least make me a decent one if neither of us are paying for it.”

Seungyoun laughs, but is flagged down by another customer before he can do that.

He keeps one eye on Yibo as he works, but thankfully, Yibo doesn’t seem to be looking around anymore, apparently he got what he’d wanted already.

As Seungyoun is on his way back, he notices Qián Huíshùn and his crew getting up to leave. On their way past, the man from before catches Yibo’s eye and nods, Yibo grins back at him. What Seungyoun is sure Yibo doesn’t notice is that he’s also caught the eye of Qián Huíshùn, who’s gaze lingers much longer than a passing appreciation as he walks by.

“Be careful with that, _aegiya,_ ” Seungyoun says, stepping back in front of Yibo.

Yibo rolls his eyes. “I know what I’m doing.”

Seungyoun is sure, in some ways, Yibo does know what he’s doing. Unfortunately, Yibo has always been less cautious with himself than Seungyoun, or any of their friends, would prefer. 

He can only hope that whatever Yibo is doing isn’t going to get him hurt, or worse.

\------------

Yibo messages Xiao Zhan as soon as he waves goodbye to Seungyoun.

From: Zhan-ge  
_You can come over, but some of the guys are here_

From: Yibo  
_Good_

When Chen Zexi opens the door he lets out a low whistle as he takes Yibo in. 

Yibo rolls his eyes. “I’ll be sure to let your girlfriend know she should add more shiny things to the clothes she wears.”

Chen Zexi laughs and leads Yibo through the apartment where everyone is gathered at the dining room table. It looks to be casual enough, with the table littered with dinner and drinks, but with trying to deal with the aftermath of Qián Huíshùn’s attempt to take Xiao Zhan out, as well as the new transport deal Xiao Zhan is trying to close on, there is no doubt this is a working dinner.

Someone lets out a wolf whistle when Yibo walks in. He tries to glare around his embarrassment, but he knows it’s not very effective, given that he’s more pleased by the positive reaction than anything. He already knows he looks good, at least good enough for his plan to have worked, but it’s still nice to have that feedback.

More importantly though, he looks to Xiao Zhan’s face, to see what his reaction is. Xiao Zhan isn’t talking or throwing compliments like the rest of them, but his eyes are dark and track Yibo’s body in a way that Yibo can almost feel. He has to quickly look away and sit down before he does something truly embarrassing. 

Yibo reminds them that he went to The Archive tonight and scoped out Qián Huíshùn’s people. 

“Did you manage to catch anyone’s attention?” Zheng Yunlong asks, smirking a little, as he knows that how Yibo looks right now it would be more surprising if he hadn’t caught someone’s attention. 

Yibo nods. 

“Who?” 

“Lau Shìzhōng.”

Ayanga raises his eyebrows, as do a few others. 

“What?” 

“Nothing,” Ayanga says. “It’s just Lau Shìzhōng is Qián Huíshùn’s head of security, if he’s not second-in-command he’s damn near close to it.” 

“That’s a good thing right?” 

Ayanga shrugs. “Yes and no. If you get in with him he’ll definitely have all the information we need, but he’s probably the most likely to be on high alert for something sketchy. He’s a dangerous guy, make sure you’re careful, didi.” 

“I will.” 

“So, what’s next?” Peng Chuyue asks.

“We exchanged numbers, so, I’ll wait to hear from him and go from there.” 

Ayanga nods. “Keep us updated.” 

“Will do.” 

“Alright, if that’s it for now, everyone get out,” Xiao Zhan tells the room after a moment of silence. 

Yibo frowns, but nobody else seems the least bit surprised, they just finish their drinks as quickly as possible before scooting back in their chairs to get up. 

He moves to follow when Peng Chuyue smirks as he passes and says, “not you, didi.” 

Yibo blinks but looks back over at Xiao Zhan, who hasn’t let his gaze leave Yibo yet. 

His body suddenly feels too hot for his clothes and would like nothing more than for Xiao Zhan to tear them off of him, the way his eyes tell him he wants to. 

He waits until all the background chattering is cut off with the slamming of the door before he steps around the table to stand next to where Xiao Zhan is sitting. 

“Zhan-ge, did you-” 

“You cannot go to places like The Archive looking like this, _bǎobǎo_ ,” Xiao Zhan says, cutting him off and reaching up to settle his hand against the dip in Yibo’s waist. 

“What? Why?” he asks, looking down at himself. Everyone else has had such a positive reaction, he’d thought for sure Xiao Zhan would like it too.

“You are going to get devoured.” 

And just like that, Yibo’s disappointment vanishes as he lets the thrill of Xiao Zhan’s dark words run through him, nearly preening at the attention. Yibo has always enjoyed attention from almost anyone, has never really cared who it’s from as long as they’re saying something positive about him. Now that he’s met Xiao Zhan, if no one else ever looked at Yibo again, but he had Xiao Zhan’s unwavering attention, that would be more than enough. 

There’s a weight to Xiao Zhan’s gaze that sits in Yibo’s chest like hot tea on a cold morning. It warms him from the inside out and settles like pure contentment. He doesn’t think he’ll ever need anything more as long as Xiao Zhan decides to keep looking at him. 

The chair Xiao Zhan is in isn’t made for two people, but that doesn’t stop Yibo from sliding into his lap anyway, legs tucked tight against the wooden arms. They dig into his thighs, but all he notices is the warmth of Xiao Zhan’s hands against him. 

Yibo wraps his arms around Xiao Zhan’s shoulders and leans in to say, “that’s okay, as long as it’s you who does it.” 

Xiao Zhan groans and pushes him back suddenly so that Yibo is leaning up against the table. He shoves Yibo's shirt up with one hand and with the other, attempts to drag his pants down within the limited amount of space available to him.

From his position, Yibo doesn’t have much in the way of leverage or reach from where his arms are holding him up against the table. Even without his help, Xiao Zhan does manage to push Yibo's pants down and get his own open just enough for both of their growing erections to be pulled out. Yibo is pleased to see that Xiao Zhan is already almost fully hard, just from looking at him. And with that realization, Yibo is nearly there himself.

Xiao Zhan takes them both in hand and Yibo gasps at the sensation, his head falling back as he lets Xiao Zhan take control of his pleasure.

“You want me to devour you, _gǒu zǎizǎi_?” Xiao Zhan asks, voice hoarse as his hand moves at a rapid pace.

“I want you to do whatever you want with me,” Yibo says, truthfully.

He cries out when Xiao Zhan leans forward, latching onto the tendon between his neck and his shoulder and sucking until he brings blood to the surface of his skin.

Yibo’s arms give out beneath him when Xiao Zhan starts thrusting up against him.

With Yibo now just lying on the table, Xiao Zhan stands, tucks his arms under Yibo, and grabs his shoulders, using his hold as leverage to rut against him looking for friction.

Yibo tries to wrap his legs around Xiao Zhan’s hips, but his pants are still too high up on his legs and all he’s able to do is let his feet rest against the back of Xiao Zhan’s knees. He wraps his arms around Xiao Zhan’s shoulders, latching onto the hair on the back of Xiao Zhan’s head in order to pull him down into a biting, messy kiss.

After a minute, Xiao Zhan moves away just enough to get his hand back around Yibo, his grip so tight and warm and perfect that after only a few more strokes, Yibo comes with a choked off shout.

Xiao Zhan works him through it, before he lets Yibo go to take himself in hand.

He pushes Yibo’s shirt further up his body, letting his free hand roam across his exposed skin as he works himself to the edge.

Yibo, with the small range of motion he has in his current position, tries to widen his legs further, and give Xiao Zhan as much of a view of his body as he can.

It takes less than a minute for Xiao Zhan to start cursing as he leans forward over Yibo’s body again to ensure that his come spills low onto Yibo’s stomach.

Once he’s spent, Xiao Zhan drops back down into his chair, slumping forward to rest his sweaty forehead against Yibo’s thigh.

Yibo grins up at the ceiling and reaches his arm down to touch Xiao Zhan. The furthest he can get is the side of his head, so Yibo rubs at the soft skin of Xiao Zhan’s ear.

After another minute, Yibo begins to realize that there is something against his back that doesn’t feel like the hard dining room table and also there is something wet soaking his hair.

He shifts around as much as he can with the weight of Xiao Zhan’s head on his leg and is able to see an upturned beer bottle next to his face.

“Zhan-ge,” he whines, realizing now that he’s laying on top of whatever food was left over from the dinner earlier.

Xiao Zhan pops his head up to look at him and when he notices what is causing Yibo’s distress bursts out in laughter.

Yibo huffs as he pulls himself up and pushes Xiao Zhan out of the way so that he can get up off the table.

“I’m taking a shower,” he says then nearly trips over the pants that are still around his knees. 

“That’s probably a good idea,” Xiao Zhan says before falling into another fit of laughter as he looks at Yibo’s back, probably stained with food.

Yibo glares at him as he finishes pulling his pants down around his feet. 

“And you’re helping,” Yibo tells him as he makes his way toward the bathroom, stripping his shirt off as he goes.

“Am I?” Xiao Zhan calls after him.

“Yes,” Yibo says as he throws his underwear at Xiao Zhan’s face.

Yibo has only just turned the water of the shower on when Xiao Zhan walks through the bathroom door, his shirt falling down behind him.

\------

Yibo is comparing two different brands of tofu when he hears a voice behind him.

“Did you drop this?”

He turns around and has to look up to meet the eyes of Lau Shìzhōng.

It’s the first time seeing the man in person since they’d first met, though they’ve messaged each other on WeChat plenty over the last two weeks. 

Knowing what he does about the man now, that he’s Qián Huíshùn’s head of security, that he’s considered one of the most dangerous men in China, his giant frame feels a little more intimidating now than it had when they’d first met.

He looks down at the package of rice in Lau Shìzhōng’s hand and frowns.

“No, that’s not mine.”

Lau Shìzhōng lets out a short laugh and tosses the rice into his basket.

“Yeah, I know,” he admits. “Just wasn’t sure how to approach you.”

The intimidating figure of Lau Shìzhōng suddenly shrinks from Yibo’s mind and he’s reminded of the much less intense version of him that he’s gotten to know over messages. Yibo would almost feel a little guilty by how obvious Lau Shìzhōng is in his interest if that wasn’t exactly what he wanted from him.

“You could just say hi,” Yibo tells him, grinning up at him. 

Yibo has only a moment to feel a little bit worried about how he looks so much different than he had the night they’d met, but that worry is quickly wiped away as the interest in Lau Shìzhōng’s eyes doesn’t falter for a moment, despite Yibo’s much more plain look.

“Hi,” Lau Shìzhōng says, more boyish than his imposing figure and violent past should allow.

“Hi,” Yibo says back, tossing his normal brand into his basket, sets the other one back in its place, and begins to walk further down the aisle.

He makes sure to look back at Lau Shìzhōng so he knows he should follow.

“How’ve you been, Bo-zǎi?” Lau Shìzhōng asks as he steps up beside him.

“Since we last talked yesterday?” Yibo asks with a teasing grin. “Fine, work is tiring but what else is new?”

Lau Shìzhōng grins. “There’s a party at Output tomorrow night, you should come, blow off some steam.”

“As your date?” Yibo asks boldly, stopping to look up at him.

Lau Shìzhōng stops abruptly alongside him. 

“Uh, well, I’ll be working, so I can’t exactly have a date.”

Yibo frowns and ducks his head, continuing his walk down the aisle, a little embarrassed at the rejection to his forwardness.

“But,” Lau Shìzhōng nearly exclaims, taking giant steps forward to catch back up to him. “If you come we can talk when I’m not busy, all your drinks will be on me. I’d like to get to talk to you more in person.”

“And when you are busy?” Yibo says with a pout. “I won’t know anyone there, so I’ll just have to sit by myself all night.”

“There’ll be dancing,” Lau Shìzhōng offers almost desperately.

Yibo sighs. “I’ll think about it.”

Without another word, he gives Lau Shìzhōng one last look then heads over to the checkout counter.

As soon as Yibo is home he shoots off a message to Ayanga and then calls Xiao Zhan, who picks up after the fourth ring.

“I don’t think you should go,” Xiao Zhan says in greeting.

Yibo sits in his confusion for a second, before he hears Ayanga’s voice somewhere in the background of Xiao Zhan’s call. 

“I think you should,” Ayanga calls out.

“Ah-” Yibo starts but stops as he hears some kind of scuffle on the other line then the phone beeps.

“Yibo, you still there?” Ayanga asks, voice sounding much closer now.

“Where’s Zhan-ge?”

“Here too,” Xiao Zhan says, voice resigned.

“So, Zhan-ge you don’t think I should go?” Yibo asks, trying to get back on topic after the chaos of the last minute.

“I just think it’s risky if you’re not even sure you’ll be spending time with the guy. You don’t want to put yourself right in the lion’s den for no payoff.”

“Even if you don’t get to talk to Lau Shìzhōng most of the night, there are bound to be people there that will be saying something worth listening to. Getting an invite like this and turning it down is a waste,” Ayanga argues.

Yibo bites his lip, not sure what to say. He agrees with Ayanga, but doesn’t want to discount Xiao Zhan’s opinion on it either.

“But it’s up to you whether you want to go,” Xiao Zhan says, voice harder than before. “Even if it’s the best opportunity for us and you don’t feel comfortable you don’t have to, right?”

“Right, yes, only if you’re comfortable,” Ayanga says with a sigh.

“I’m not uncomfortable,” Yibo assures them. “As long as you’re okay with it, Zhan-ge, I think it’ll be good for me to go and check things out.”

There is silence on the other end for long enough that Yibo checks to make sure they didn’t get cut off before he finally hears Xiao Zhan let out a quiet “fine.”

“Great,” Ayanga says, much louder, and gets to work on prepping Yibo for what he’ll need to know going in tomorrow.

As soon as he gets off the phone he sends a message to Lau Shìzhōng.

From Yibo:  
_What should I wear tomorrow?_

As before, Xiao Zhan had given Yibo free reign to buy whatever outfit he’d wanted in order to get the right heads turning his way. 

It does it’s job when, as soon as he walks inside he’s approached by someone, but the man doesn’t even have time to finish his pickup line before Lau Shìzhōng is pushing him aside and grabbing Yibo’s arm.

He leads Yibo over to a spot at the bar, motioning to the guy sitting in the seat to leave, before he deposits Yibo in the newly vacant spot. 

“Hi?” Yibo tries, once he’s settled.

Lau Shìzhōng just looks at him, gaze dark and interest clear.

He turns to the bartender then and says, “get him whatever he wants.”

“I’ll be back in an hour,” Lau Shìzhōng says then, turning back to look at Yibo, taking one last lingering look at him before he walks away.

Yibo’s head is spinning a little as he orders his drink. When he looks over to the back of the club, Yibo understands why Lau Shìzhōng had sat him here. 

Other than the haze of smoke, he has a clear line of sight to where Lau Shìzhōng is standing, which can only mean that Lau Shìzhōng has just as clear a view of him. Yibo resigns himself to flirt from a distance for the rest of the night.

Yibo alternates between making suggestive looks toward Lau Shìzhōng when he catches his eyes on him, and watching the writhing bodies on the dance floor.

True to his word, at the top of the hour, Lau Shìzhōng makes his way back over to Yibo.

“Hi,” Lau Shìzhōng says, as soon as he’s settled next to where Yibo is sitting. “Sorry about earlier, I shouldn’t have left my post but wanted to make sure you were settled before the vultures descended on you.”

“Hmm,” Yibo starts, playing coy as he twirls his cocktail stirrer around his drink a few times. “Well, thank you for apologizing, I’ve been thinking about leaving.”

Lau Shìzhōng steps even closer, letting his hand reach out to grip Yibo’s side. The hold isn’t tight, but the heat and the roughness of Lau Shìzhōng’s hand assures Yibo that, if he wanted, he could keep Yibo from moving.

“Don’t leave,” Lau Shìzhōng says, a little more desperate than Yibo knows how to deal with.

“I don’t know anyone here,” Yibo says with a pout. “I’m too shy to talk to anyone, and if you’re not gonna pay attention to me I don’t know why you even wanted me to come.”

Lau Shìzhōng squeezes his side, not hard enough to hurt, if Yibo were to guess, he’d say it’s meant to be reassuring.

“I’m sorry, Bo-zǎi, really. But if you stick around just another hour we can talk after that,” he promises. “Do you like to dance? Maybe you could go out and dance a little.”

Before Yibo can respond, a man walks up behind them and clears his throat.

Lau Shìzhōng turns to look at him.

“Everything okay?” he asks the man.

The man nods. “Lǎobǎn wants to talk to you.”

Lau Shìzhōng nods and begins to pull away from Yibo, only for the man to shake his head.

“Not you, ge, he wants to talk to him.”

Yibo blinks as he realizes the man has just motioned to him. He glances over at Lau Shìzhōng to see him looking similarly confused.

“Let’s go,” the man says when Yibo makes no moves to get up.

With one last look toward Lau Shìzhōng, who’s confused face has morphed into something unreadable, Yibo braces himself and slides down off the stool.

Lau Shìzhōng follows behind Yibo as Yibo follows the other man, but when he’s led through the doors Lau Shìzhōng had been standing in front of all night, Lau Shìzhōng doesn’t go through with them.

Yibo tries to calm his racing heart. At this point, there is no reason for them to suspect him and what he’s doing here, there’s no reason for him to walk in on the defensive. He just needs to stay calm and he’ll get through this.

The room he enters is dark and the music playing is less bass heavy than the one out in the main area. There’s a smaller bar set up in the corner and instead of the messy grind of bodies out on the dance floor, the only people dancing here look to be actual dancers. There is more smoke and more gaming tables back here than in the public area as well.

Yibo is led to a large, circular booth where Qián Huíshùn is sitting, with another man that Yibo doesn’t recognize. On the other man’s lap is a woman, probably one of the dancers. She’s not engaged in the conversation between the two men, as she’s too busy snorting something up off the table in front of her. Another young woman is leaning against Qián Huíshùn’s side, engrossed in her phone.

The man Yibo has been following pushes him forward and then grabs him by the shoulder to shove him down into the booth. The girl across from him wipes her nose and stares at him in interest, the other girl doesn’t even look up from her phone.

“Ah, there you are,” Qián Huíshùn says, turning his attention away from the other man onto Yibo.

“Uh, I-”

“What’s your name, _xiǎo huǒzi_?” Qián Huíshùn interrupts, a smile growing at Yibo’s obvious nervousness.

“W-wang Yibo, _dà shū_ ,” he answers, keeping his head bowed.

“Do you know why you’re here, Wang Yibo?”

Yibo bites the inside of his cheek and shakes his head.

Huíshùn smiles. “You were at The Archive the other week, weren’t you?”

He hesitates for just a moment, trying to determine if lying would be beneficial here at all, before he decides that for now it’s better to keep things as easy as possible. He nods.

“And now, you’re here. It can’t be a coincidence that you show up in the same place as me twice, right?”

Yibo swallows around the lump in his throat.

“I…”

Huíshùn leans forward toward him and says, “so, if fate wants to throw someone as gorgeous as you my way twice, I’d be a fool to let you get away.”

Yibo hadn’t even realized his ears had been ringing until the sounds of the room come flooding back into them.

“Oh, um, thank you,” is all he can think to say.

The other man throws his head back with a hearty laugh, and the girl leaning against Huíshùn’s side finally looks away from her phone for long enough to send a glare Yibo’s way.

Huíshùn hasn’t looked away from him, just keeps his dark eyes trained on Yibo’s face.

After no one speaks for a few moments, the other man calms his laughing down enough to say, “I don’t normally go that way, but I see the appeal.”

The girl on his lap leans her elbow onto the table, looks straight at Yibo and says, “me too.”

She sends him a wink and he ducks his head to hide his face away from all of this. He’s not really sure how to react right now. It’s not that he’s a stranger to being hit on, but this is Qián Huíshùn and possibly another equally powerful man. He really hadn’t mentally prepared himself for this.

Qián Huíshùn waves the other two off and keeps staring at Yibo. 

“Do you know who I am, _xiao meinan_?” Huíshùn asks.

Yibo tries to ignore the nickname and keep his face as innocent looking as possible as he shakes his head no.

“My name is Qián Huíshùn,” he says, studying Yibo’s face for recognition in his eyes. Yibo hopes he doesn’t find any. “I own this place, and the bar I saw you at the other night.”

“Oh,” Yibo says, trying to sound pleasantly surprised by this piece of information.

It’s apparently enough for Huíshùn who just grins wider and leans back in his seat.

“What has you visiting all my establishments lately without you even knowing my name?”

“My friend works at The Archive, so he got me in that night,” Yibo tells him, really hoping that admitting that won’t get Seungyoun into any kind of trouble. 

He’s sure he can talk Xiao Zhan into getting Seungyoun a job at one of the bars he owns if it comes down to it. 

“That’s where I met Lau Shìzhōng, I think maybe he works for you?” Yibo continues, looking to Huíshùn for verification.

The smile on Huíshùn’s face has dropped, but he nods once in confirmation.

Yibo pauses, wondering what he might have said to mess this up already, wonders if maybe he should backtrack, but he doesn’t know exactly what he might need to backtrack on, so instead he finishes his answer.

“He invited me here tonight.”

“I see,” Huíshùn says, drumming his fingertips along the surface of the table, looking deep in thought.

The man across from Yibo seems to be side-eyeing Huíshùn, possibly just as confused by his reaction as Yibo is.

After a minute, Huíshùn shakes himself out of whatever thoughts have been going through his head and smiles again.

“Well, Wang Yibo, I’m glad we got to meet. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing each other again.”

Yibo understands it for the dismissal that it is and pulls himself up out of the booth and bows to Huíshùn and the rest of the table.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Qián _xiānshēng_.”

He turns and quickly makes his way out of the darkened room, pausing in the short hallway between the back of the club and the main area to catch his breath. 

Once he’s sure his hands aren’t shaking, Yibo steps back out into the bigger, louder part of the club.

Lau Shìzhōng is standing where he’s been most of the night, face impassive as he stares straight ahead.

Yibo grins up at him, hoping to get back to some semblance of normalcy, but Lau Shìzhōng doesn't look down at him.

“I just met your boss,” Yibo tells him. “He seems nice.”

When Lau Shìzhōng doesn’t react, Yibo looks down at his phone.

“You said you’re off in less than an hour, right?”

Lau Shìzhōng still doesn’t acknowledge him, and Yibo wonders if maybe this is like one of those guard situations where Lau Shìzhōng can’t interact with people while he’s working. So, Yibo resigns himself to waiting and goes back to the bar. The seat he’d been given before is taken, but the one beside it is open and still has a view on where Lau Shìzhōng is standing. Not that it matters much, apparently, as Lau Shìzhōng doesn’t look over at him once for the rest of the hour.

When the clock hits the top the hour, Lau Shìzhōng doesn’t make his way over to him, instead he turns and walks into the back of the club. 

Yibo gnaws at his lip and bounces his leg as he waits. It’s only after twenty minutes that Yibo starts to believe no one is coming back out.

He pulls out his phone to message Lau Shìzhōng.

From: Yibo  
_Where are you?_

Ten minutes later, after no response, he sends another.

From: Yibo  
_Did you leave?? you told me to wait so i did_

His hands are shaking for a different reason than before, when forty-five minutes after Lau Shìzhōng had told him they would talk, he sees that he’s been left on read.

It’s only when someone approaches him, asking if he wants to dance, that Yibo is able to shake himself out of his stupor, push himself away from the bar, and leave.

He’s not sure how he fucked this up so bad already. He knows Lau Shìzhōng had been interested, he can’t believe he’s lost that interest already.

He doesn’t contact Xiao Zhan or Ayanga that night to tell them that he failed, in a desperate hope that he might be able to come up with some kind of solution to his problem while he sleeps.

Unfortunately, nothing comes to him, other than resorting to desperate measures.

From: Yibo  
_Is everything ok?_

Yibo has never had to message a guy so many times to try to get his attention. Even Xiao Zhan, who he knows is busy and probably has lots of people who want his attention, gets back to him within an hour. 

But right now, Yibo’s plan is on the line, and he wants nothing less than to disappoint Xiao Zhan. He knows Xiao Zhan will be nice about it and say they’ll find another way, but Yibo doesn’t think he’ll be able to stand facing him knowing that he couldn’t do this for him.

Just as he’s about to pick up the phone and call Ayanga, hoping to ease the blow of admitting his failure to him instead of straight to Xiao Zhan, there is a knock on the door.

He glares at the door as the pounding continues before he finally yells, “answer the door!”

Wenhan pokes his head out from the kitchen to scowl at him.

“You answer it, you’re closer.”

“No,” Yibo says, tucking himself further into the couch.

Wenhan scoffs and steps out of the kitchen fully, resting his hands on his hips.

“You’re such a brat.”

Yibo shrugs and spins his phone between his fingertips, then glares at the door again as the knocking still hasn’t stopped.

“Please just answer it, I’m getting a headache.”

Wenhan scowls at him for another few seconds before he sighs.

“I’m only doing this because I’m also starting to get a headache,” he says, then makes his way past Yibo to answer the door.

He swings their front door open to reveal a delivery man who is holding a box with a flower on top.

“Wang Yibo?” the bored sounding delivery man asks Wenhan.

“No,” Wenhan says. “And he doesn’t live here.”

“Yes, I do!” Yibo yells, but doesn’t move to get up.

The delivery man blinks and looks back and forth between them.

“So, one of you is Wang Yibo?”

Wenhan shakes his head. 

“It’s just me, now. Wang Yibo lived here before, but one day, he melted into the couch and became one with it. Sometimes I can still hear that nasally voice of his yelling for me,” Wenhan says with an exaggerated sniffle.

The delivery man stares at Wenhan in concern then looks back over at Yibo.

 _“Shī fù_ , please bring that here,” Yibo tells the man. “Just ignore him, there’s something wrong with his head.”

The man seems torn for a moment before he takes a step forward to walk past Wenhan.

“Aiyah! I’ve got it, I’ve got it,” Wenhan exclaims, grabbing the box from the man. “You should be ashamed of yourself, giving into him so easily.”

The man just shrugs and walks away, clearly glad to have the package out of his realm of concern.

Wenhan unceremoniously deposits the box onto Yibo’s lap as he passes, muttering, “brat” at him, again.

Yibo ignores him and works on opening the box.

Tissue paper covers what is clearly some kind of clothing item and Yibo’s heart picks up its pace, wondering if Xiao Zhan has sent him clothes. Maybe thinking that Yibo would need them, not realizing that he’d been unable to keep the attention of some glorified bodyguard for longer than a couple of days.

That is, until he sees the card that came with the package. 

He turns it over to see unfamiliar handwriting.

_Come to Huángzú Lounge tonight, as my guest.  
Wear this, you’ll look beautiful in it.  
A driver will be at your door at 9pm  
_

_~ Qián Huíshùn_

Yibo gapes at the note and the clothes he’s been sent, looking back and forth between them as he tries to process what’s happening.

He hadn’t thought Qián Huíshùn wanted anything more to do with him last night when they’d said goodbye, he’s more than a little startled by this development.

“What’d you get?” Wenhan’s voice comes from behind him and Yibo nearly drops the whole box in shock.

“I-just…”

Wenhan reaches over and yanks the shirt out from the box.

“Clothes? You bought an outfit?”

“No,” Yibo says, then bites his lip before he says more, just saying he’d bought himself an outfit would have been much better than the truth.

“Who’s sending you clothes?”

“Just...some guy I met,” Yibo says, ducking his head when Wenhan walks around the couch in order to look at him straight on.

“Is this Xiao Zhan, again?” Wenhan asks, trying to meet Yibo’s eye.

“No, it’s someone else,” Yibo says, tipping his head up at Wenhan’s tone, not liking the agitation he always hears in his friend’s voices when Xiao Zhan is brought up.

“Oh, great, you have _another_ sugar daddy? Does your Zhan-ge know about him? I don’t think he’s gonna be too happy if he knows some other guy is sending you clothes. You have to be so careful with guys like this.”

“Zhan-ge knows,” Yibo says, but lowers his head against the lie, as Xiao Zhan doesn’t actually know about this in particular, but he will, as soon as Yibo calls him. Which he’s going to do, once Wenhan leaves him alone.

Wenhan tries to meet his eye for another moment before he sighs.

“I worry about you, Yibo.”

“Don’t,” Yibo bites back at him.

It doesn’t push Wenhan away, just makes his shoulders sag a little further. 

“I’m always gonna worry about you, Bobo, I always have. Just...if you need help, tell me, or Yixuan or Seungyoun, or talk to Han-ge, you know he’ll help you if you need it.”

“I don’t need help,” Yibo insists, meeting Wenhan’s eyes finally so that he can drive this point home. 

“Maybe not now, but don’t get yourself too far into that world that we can’t pull you back out.”

Yibo glares at the back of the couch as he says, “don’t you have to get to work?”

Wenhan doesn’t move for another few seconds before he sighs again. He rests his hand on Yibo’s head as he passes, but doesn’t say anything else.

Yibo waits until he’s sure Wenhan is out of the room before he wipes away the moisture in his eyes. There’s no way to tell any of the people in his life just how far into that world he’s already gone. Once they find out what he’s done, and what he is willing to continue to do for Xiao Zhan, none of them will want anything to do with him anymore.

He gives himself a minute to calm down, so that his voice doesn’t give him away, before he calls Xiao Zhan.

It takes less than one ring for him to pick up.

“Yibo, are you okay?”

“I-yes, are you?”

“You didn’t check in last night, I checked with Ayanga and the rest but no one heard from you. I know you were probably busy, but you _need_ to check in so we know you’re still okay.”

“I’m sorry, Zhan-ge, I wasn’t even thinking. I actually ended up going home early, I guess it slipped my mind.”

“It’s okay, I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Yibo smiles and sinks further down into the couch. 

“I’m okay, I promise.”

“Good. So, last night was a bust?”

“Kind of,” Yibo admits, before he remembers why he’d called. “Or, well, maybe not? I don’t know, something weird happened.”

“Weird how?”

Yibo goes on to explain Qián Huíshùn summoning him and the strange conversation they’d had. He even admits to losing Lau Shìzhōng’s interest. 

“That...seems unlikely,” Xiao Zhan says slowly as Yibo explains.

“And now,” Yibo continues. “Qián Huíshùn just sent me an outfit with a message to wear it tonight at Huángzú Lounge.”

“What?”

“I know, it’s so weird,” Yibo says, shaking his head as he runs his hand over the shirt that Wenhan had messily thrown back into the box.

“I’m coming over.”

“W-wait, why?”

“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

Xiao Zhan hangs up before Yibo can ask him to explain again.

Yibo tosses his phone to the edge of the couch and lays his head back against the arm rest.

“Are you just gonna sit on the couch all day?” Wenhan asks a few minutes later as he steps back into the living room, now dressed for work.

“Maybe.”

Wenhan rolls his eyes and walks back into the kitchen.

“Well, make sure when you order food to let them know that they’ll need to send someone who is willing to feed you because you’re not going to put in the effort for even that much,” he calls out.

“Maybe I will,” Yibo says, pouting at the dark TV. 

He probably would start playing a game or something, if he didn’t know Xiao Zhan was going to be here any minute.

Wenhan eyes the box as he walks past Yibo toward the front door, but doesn’t say anything more about it.

“Have a wonderful day, ge,” Wenhan says to himself. “Thank you, didi, you too.”

Yibo just grunts in response.

“Oh,” Wenhan says as soon as he opens the door, revealing Xiao Zhan standing in the doorway, holding a flower in his hand.

Xiao Zhan smiles, polite and gorgeous as always.

Wenhan eyes him for a moment. 

“Did he tell you about the clothes?” Wenhan asks.

Yibo glares at him, but Xiao Zhan nods.

“He did,” he says, voice passive enough sounding, but Wenhan just nods and points to him as he looks back at Yibo.

“See, I told you,” Wenhan says to him then turns back to Xiao Zhan. “It’s not his fault, you can’t take it out on him.”

“Go to work,” Yibo tells him, and if his phone was still in his hand he’d throw it at him.

Wenhan scowls and eyes Xiao Zhan for another moment, but he leaves without another word.

Xiao Zhan watches him leave before he closes the door and makes his way inside.

He’s only been to Yibo’s apartment a handful of times, and every time Yibo can’t help but feel like it’s wrong, somehow. Xiao Zhan doesn’t belong in Yibo’s dingy apartment with second hand furniture. He belongs in his high-rise apartment, surrounded by all the best things money can buy. Yibo doesn’t want Xiao Zhan to come down into Yibo’s world, Yibo wants to join Xiao Zhan in his.

“Did you get me flowers?” Yibo asks, nodding to the wilted flower in Xiao Zhan’s hand.

“Ah, no, this was right outside your door,” he says, setting it on the table before he sits down on the other end of the couch. He stops for a moment, reaching back behind himself to dig Yibo’s phone out of his back and sets that down beside the flower.

Yibo suddenly remembers where he’d seen the flower before.

“It must have fallen when Wenhan grabbed the box,” he says aloud.

Xiao Zhan squints at him before understanding dawns in his eyes and then turns to glare at the innocent flower.

“Let me see these clothes.”

Yibo points to the box then grabs the card to give to him as well.

Xiao Zhan scowls as he reads the note before he sets it to the side and digs into the box.

“These are nice,” Xiao Zhan admits, as he studies each item.

Yibo shrugs. “He’s rich, right?”

Xiao Zhan laughs, but there is no humor to be found in it. 

“Yes, he’s extremely rich.”

“Then I’d hope he’s gifting people nice clothes,” he says, sliding further down the couch to let his foot rest against Xiao Zhan’s hip.

Xiao Zhan studies the clothes for another moment before he shakes his head.

“I don’t like this.”

“How come?”

When Xiao Zhan doesn’t answer, just keeps shaking his head, Yibo tries again.

“Do you think it’s a trap?”

Xiao Zhan stands then and begins pacing back and forth in Yibo’s tiny living room. His gait long enough that he only takes about three steps before he has to pivot.

“Should we call Ayanga?” Yibo offers, watching Xiao Zhan pace like a tiger in a cage, looking more agitated by the second.

When Xiao Zhan still doesn’t respond Yibo says, “I’m gonna call Ayanga.”

“I think you should go,” Ayanga says, after Yibo explains everything to him.

“You don’t think it’s a trap?” Yibo asks, eyes following Xiao Zhan, who has given up on pacing the living room and is now apparently making breakfast.

Ayanga is silent for a moment before he says, “no, Yibo, I don’t think it’s a trap. Is that what Xiao-zong is telling you it is?”

“I haven’t said anything,” Xiao Zhan argues, the first words he’s said since Yibo had called Ayanga even though he’d put him on speakerphone.

“Listen, as always, only do what you’re comfortable with. But this is the exact opportunity we’ve been hoping for. It’d be crazy to throw it away just because Xiao Zhan can’t stop drinking vinegar.”

Xiao Zhan sputters and finally turns around to glare at the phone.

“This has nothing to do with that,” he yells.

“I’ve given you my opinion. You two figure it out from there. Good luck, didi. You too, Lǎobǎn,” Ayanga says then hangs up before either of them can respond.

Yibo frowns down at his phone.

“Yibo, I…”

“You don't need to worry about me,” Yibo says, looking back up at where Xiao Zhan is eyeing him warily.

Xiao Zhan shakes his head.

Before he can speak though, Yibo walks closer to him and pushes himself into Xiao Zhan’s space, the angle making it so he has to look up at him.

“What I do with them doesn’t mean anything, Zhan-ge,” he insists.

“I know,” Xiao Zhan says, shaking his head again.

“Because everything I do with them is for you.”

“I-”

Yibo begins to unbutton Xiao Zhan’s shirt, letting his lips follow the trail of his fingers on every new inch of exposed skin.

Xiao Zhan sucks in a breath and blindly reaches back behind himself to turn off the stove.

“When they touch me,” Yibo continues, speaking into Xiao Zhan’s chest. “It’s only because you’re letting them.”

His shirt is fully open now but Xiao Zhan apparently still has the presence of mind to stop Yibo before he drops down to his knees. 

Yibo pouts at him for blocking his movement, but Xiao Zhan just grabs the back of Yibo’s head to pull him in a deep kiss. He walks Yibo backward until he hits the countertop, then pulls Yibo’s leg up to his hip and Yibo tightens his hold immediately.

“They can’t make me feel as good as you do,” Yibo says, gasping when Xiao Zhan grinds up against him.

Xiao Zhan lets out something of a growl, either at the sensation or Yibo’s words. One of his hands grips Yibo’s thigh while the other holds his head exactly where he wants it.

“You should fuck me, Zhan-ge,” Yibo whines against the continuous grind against the growing ache, and the restrictive hold that keeps him from doing anything more.

When Xiao Zhan just keeps pushing him harder and harder into the counter, alternating between biting kisses and sucking on the skin of his neck, Yibo groans and presses his gasping mouth to Xiao Zhan’s ear.

“Fuck me, _gege_ , show me I’m yours.”

With that, Xiao Zhan hauls Yibo away from the counter and down the hallway to Yibo’s room. 

Yibo throws his shirt off and has his pants down around his thighs before they’ve even left the hallway.

He whines as Xiao Zhan pushes him onto the bed and notes that the closest Xiao Zhan is to removing his clothes is his already unbuttoned shirt.

Xiao Zhan grabs the ends of Yibo’s pants and yanks them down and off and quickly dips his head to latch his mouth right below Yibo’s belly button.

Yibo gasps as the sharp sting against his sensitive skin, and grasps the tops of Xiao Zhan’s shoulders.

“Zhan-ge.”

Xiao Zhan just sucks harder for another moment, letting his teeth scrape across the skin as well, before popping his head back up, studying the place he’d just had mouth pressed to. He nods then and grabs Yibo’s leg, lifting it up and brings his mouth to the inside of his thigh.

Yibo nearly shouts at the sucking sensation against his skin and attempts to move himself further up the bed, only to have Xiao Zhan grip his leg tight and catch Yibo’s hip with his other hand, keeping him in place.

“Zhan-ge, please,” Yibo says, breathless and desperate already for more and less.

Without moving his mouth away from Yibo’s skin, Xiao Zhan reaches into Yibo’s side drawer.

When he’s satisfied with the mark he’s made on Yibo’s thigh, Xiao Zhan finally lets his shirt fall from his shoulders as he moves his mouth up to begin sucking on a spot right next to Yibo’s nipple.

Yibo whimpers and tries to tug on Xiao Zhan’s hair to bring his attention back to his mouth, but Xiao Zhan doesn’t budge, and Yibo only stops tugging when one of Xiao Zhan’s lubed fingers begins to slowly press into him with no warning.

He lets out a shout at that and arches his back up.

Xiao Zhan continues on across the span of Yibo’s skin, marking him up until he’s satisfied while he prepares Yibo, who slowly becomes a wailing mess, simultaneously pulling himself closer and attempting to push away.

Yibo nearly sobs in relief when Xiao Zhan eventually removes his fingers in order to line himself up and push inside, while he pulls himself away from Yibo’s now bruise mottled skin to capture his lips, finally.

The pace Xiao Zhan sets is punishing and when Yibo attempts to wrap his arms around him, Xiao Zhan just grabs his arms and holds them down against the bed, using the angle to drive deeper into him.

“That’s it, Zhan-ge, fuck me harder, don’t let me forget,” Yibo says, breath hitching with every ruthless thrust.

Xiao Zhan nearly growls as he finally releases his hold on Yibo’s arms and presses himself along Yibo’s body.

Yibo wraps his arms and legs around him. He lifts his head up enough for his mouth to brush along Xiao Zhan’s cheek.

“Tell me I’m yours,” he purrs against the shell of Xiao Zhan’s ear.

“Yes.”

“Zhan-ge, _say it_.”

“You’re mine,” Xiao Zhan rasps out.

Yibo lets out a satisfied moan.

“ _Mine_.”

“Yours,” Yibo assures him, content with the possessive hold and words Xiao Zhan has wrapped him up in.

It only takes another minute before Yibo is coming with a broken cry, body bowing up through the force of it before dropping him back down.

Xiao Zhan immediately pulls out and before Yibo can complain, turns Yibo over onto his stomach and pushes back in.

Yibo shouts and jolts away from the sudden movements, his legs giving out beneath him immediately. But Xiao Zhan keeps him locked in his hold, and Yibo can do nothing else but grab onto one of his pillows and hug it to his face.

Xiao Zhan leans over him then, panting against his ear as he asks, “do you need me to stop?”

Yibo frantically shakes his head and pulls the pillow away from his mouth just far enough to speak.

“Don’t stop, _gege_ , use me. I’m yours, remember?”

Xiao Zhan’s forehead drops to Yibo’s shoulder blade and his thrusts become erratic. 

Yibo has to bite the pillow to keep from crying out, as Xiao Zhan slams inside of him over and over before he comes with a coarse groan.

He lets his whole body drop on top of Yibo’s back, and Yibo lets out an involuntary ‘oof’ at the impact.

Yibo allows the weight, even as it makes breathing a little more difficult. But after a few minutes, Xiao Zhan’s overheated skin begins to irritate his own, and Yibo whines and squirms beneath him in order to make his feelings known.

Xiao Zhan groans again and finally shifts to move off of Yibo, onto the bed.

As Xiao Zhan works on catching his breath, Yibo turns onto his back, grimacing at the mess that makes. He contemplates the fact that he’ll need to either wash his bedspread today or maybe convince Xiao Zhan to let him sleep over tonight.

Before he can ask though, he feels Xiao Zhan thumbing at the mark he’d left on Yibo’s chest.

“What are you going to do about Qián Huíshùn?” Xiao Zhan asks, voice slightly breathy. 

Yibo turns to meet his eyes as he says, “whatever you want me to do.”

Xiao Zhan sighs and looks back down at where his thumb is and presses against the sensitive skin until Yibo bites his lip against the blunt ache.

“You can go,” Xiao Zhan finally says. “But be _careful_. When you’re there, you’re right in the middle of it, and I can’t protect you when you’re with them”

Yibo reaches up to let his hand rest against Xiao Zhan’s.

“I know, Zhan-ge, I will be.”

Xiao Zhan shakes his head but doesn’t say anything else for another few minutes.

Yibo studies his face as Xiao Zhan loses himself in thought. It’s one of his favorite things to do after sex with Xiao Zhan, just take in every beautiful inch of his face and bask in the knowledge that he gets to be this close to someone as perfect as this man.

When Xiao Zhan finally decides to re-join Yibo outside of his head, he grins and says, “I actually have something for you.”

That piques Yibo’s interest and he sits up. 

“A present? Where is it?”

“In my jacket pocket,” Xiao Zhan says, not sitting up along with him.

Yibo watches him for a moment, but when it becomes clear he has no plans to actually get up to get it, Yibo scowls at him.

“The one you left in the living room earlier?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you gonna go get it?”

“Not right now.”

Yibo huffs and rolls his eyes before he drags himself off the bed, ignoring the ache in his hips as makes his way back out to the living room, nearly tripping on his discarded shirt that he’d left in the hallway.

He grabs Xiao Zhan’s jacket that had been left on the arm of the couch, and reaches into the inside pocket to pull out a box about the size of Yibo’s hand.

When he opens the box he sees a necklace inside, the pendant at the end is a small ox head, with two rubies laid in where the eyes should be.

He smiles and wiggles a little at the thrill that runs up his spine, before he slides the jacket on, and all but skips his way back to his room, kicking his shirt further down the hallway when he almost slips on it again.

“You know that jacket is dry clean only,” Xiao Zhan says from where he’s still laid out on the bed.

Yibo shrugs and hops onto the bed.

“Put it on me,” he says, holding out the box.

Xiao Zhan grins and finally sits up, taking the box from his hand.

“Do you like it?” he asks, taking the necklace out of the box.

“I love it,” Yibo tells him, turning his back to him.

The ox head knocks soft against his chest, then slowly rides up to his clavicle before landing in its place as Xiao Zhan latches the chain around his neck.

He feels a warm pressure against the back of his neck that he immediately recognizes as Xiao Zhan’s lips.

Xiao Zhan’s hands come up under his jacket to wrap around Yibo’s waist, kissing the side of his neck before he says, “so you remember.”

Yibo holds the ox head between his fingers for a moment before he presses it down hard against his chest, vaguely hoping it’ll make an indentation in his skin.

“I won’t forget,” he promises.

\----- 

Qián Huíshùn has Yibo sitting beside him for most of the evening.

He keeps a possessive hand high up on Yibo’s thigh, right below the mark Xiao Zhan had left, brushing his thumb along the tight material of the pants he’d bought for him.

They don’t talk much. 

Huíshùn will occasionally compliment him, especially when someone new comes around and he gets to show Yibo off, and Yibo thanks him shyly each time. But other than that, Huíshùn spends most of the evening engaged in conversation with other people.

Yibo keeps trying to catch Lau Shìzhōng’s eye, but, as before, he doesn’t even look at him. 

Eventually, Qián Huíshùn gets up to go somewhere else with little more than a half-hearted “I’ll be back” to Yibo.

He sighs and leans back in this seat, once more trying to catch Lau Shìzhōng’s attention. 

After several minutes, Lau Shìzhōng seems to be struggling to stand still and suddenly turns and walks down the hallway.

Watching him go in confusion for just a moment, Yibo then jumps up to follow him.

He catches him just in time to see him walk into the bathroom.

Luckily, Lau Shìzhōng hadn’t locked the door behind him, allowing Yibo to slip inside.

“Go back,” Lau Shìzhōng says, voice hard like stone as he runs his hands under the faucet.

“You stopped responding to my messages,” Yibo says, ignoring the cruel tone.

Lau Shìzhōng looks at him through the mirror, the first time he’s looked at Yibo since before he’d met Qián Huíshùn.

“You should stop sending me those.” 

“I-I thought you liked me,” Yibo says, letting his breath hitch. 

Lau Shìzhōng pauses at that, his steely gaze dropping for just a moment to show something much less cold. It takes him a moment to hide that again, long enough for Yibo to see what’s really going on.

“Qián-zong likes you,” Lau Shìzhōng says, as an explanation, or a disagreement and turns around to look at Yibo now without a mirror to cover for him.

“So, you’re not allowed to like anyone he likes?” 

“No.” 

Yibo pushes off the door and steps into his space, enough to breathe his next words against Lau Shìzhōng’s throat. 

“What if _I_ like _you_ more?” 

There’s a second of hesitation before Lau Shìzhōng groans and pulls Yibo's head in his hands to kiss him hard and punishing.

It’s more than Yibo is capable of keeping up with, so he lets himself just sag into Lau Shìzhōng’s hold, letting the man hold him up as he kisses Yibo as though he’s trying to suck the life force out of him. His strong fingers dig in right where Yibo can still feel Xiao Zhan’s hands from earlier.

Yibo can’t help but think that if it were Xiao Zhan kissing him this way, he’d want to sink into his hold and never be let up. Just thinking of Xiao Zhan is enough to awaken some interest in Yibo, and he uses that to his advantage.

Even with his lack of leverage, caught in Lau Shìzhōng’s hold the way he is, Yibo is able to shift his leg up enough to rub up against the top of Lau Shìzhōng’s thigh. 

Shìzhōng has an even more intense reaction to that than him.

They both gasp at the sensation. Shìzhōng spins them around, and lifts Yibo like he’s a child up onto the sink top.

Yibo is given just a second of reprieve with the movement in order to breathe, but his breath is quickly stolen again, both by Lau Shìzhōng’s tongue in his mouth, as well as his hand rubbing at the zipper of Yibo’s too tight pants, teasing a promise of freeing him from the uncomfortable confinement his slowly growing arousal is currently in. 

Only, just a moment later, the heavy breathing and sucking sounds are covered up by the chime of a phone.

Lau Shìzhōng yanks himself back away from him, scrambling to pull out his phone and answers with a quick, “what?”

Yibo greedily sucks in air now that he can, and watches Lau Shìzhōng scowl at the wall as he listens to whatever is being said on the other end of his phone call.

Less than a minute later, Shìzhōng just says, “yeah,” and hangs up.

He runs a hand through his hair, eyes finally falling back onto where Yibo is still sitting on the countertop, waiting for whatever Shìzhōng may want him to do next.

Lau Shìzhōng doesn’t hide the desire in his eyes as he looks him up and down, but then shakes his head and turns to the door.

“Fix yourself up, Lǎobǎn will be looking for you soon,” he says, then exits the bathroom without a backward glance.

As soon as he walks out, Yibo finally lets out the smirk he’s been holding back, thrilled that he still clearly has Lau Shìzhōng’s attention. 

He jumps down from the counter and runs a paper towel under the cool water and pats at his face and neck. 

Before he leaves, he pulls the collar of his shirt down enough so that he can run his thumb along the mark Xiao Zhan had left earlier.

He makes sure he looks presentable enough before he exits the bathroom and makes his way back to where Qián Huíshùn is sitting.

“Where have you been?” Qián Huíshùn asks when Yibo sits down beside him.

“Bathroom,” Yibo says simply.

“I have to leave to do some work, but you should come by my place later. I’ll have a car bring you,” Qián Huíshùn tells him, resting a hand on Yibo’s knee and squeezing.

“Hm, not tonight,” Yibo says, placing his hand on Qián Huíshùn’s.

As much as he wants to show off Xiao Zhan’s marks to the world, he has a feeling Qián Huíshùn won’t appreciate them as much.

Qián Huíshùn’s eyes narrow and his grip turns hard.

Yibo presses in close to him before he can argue though and speaks low into his ear, “next time, when you’re not so busy.”

He’s only able to move back an inch before Qián Huíshùn grabs him by the back of the neck and pulls him into a kiss that his already slightly bruised lips feel immediately. He allows the pain to do it’s part and whimpers into the kiss, which, as he’d expected, Qián Huíshùn reacts to that by deepening the kiss, and holding his head, possessive and unyielding in his hands.

There’s a small thread of a thought that runs through Yibo’s mind as he allows Qián Huíshùn to suck on his tongue, that he wonders if it’s just that lately, he’s been kissing men that all kiss like they’re trying to draw blood, or if he, specifically, brings that out in men.

When Qián Huíshùn finally allows him to pull away, the first thing Yibo sees is Qián Huíshùn’s eyes travel from his mouth to something beyond Yibo’s shoulder.

Yibo brings his focus back to him with a softer, sweeter kiss, pulling away before it can get rough again. 

“Let me know when you want to see me again,” Yibo says before he stands up and makes his way out to leave.

On his way, he lets his eyes wander to meet Lau Shìzhōng’s.

\----

Seungyoun groans in annoyance as his phone lights up and begins ringing for a third time. 

He finally decides to just pause his game and answer it, knowing Wenhan isn’t going to stop until he does.

“Someone better be dying,” he says as his greeting.

“Who is Qián Huíshùn?”

Seungyoun blinks at the screen in front of him for a moment before he says, “what?”

“Have you heard of him?”

“Uh, yes? Where did you even hear that name?” he asks.

Of all their friends, Wenhan is the last person he’d guess would be aware of Qián Huíshùn.

“He sent Yibo clothes.”

It takes a moment for that sentence to process in his brain before something like dread drops into the pit of Seungyoun’s stomach. He knew something like this was going to happen after Yibo had come to The Archive. He never should have let him.

When Seungyoun is apparently quiet for too long Wenhan speaks again.

“Just tell me who he is, Younie.”

“He owns the bar I work at.”

“And?”

“And he’s not the kind of guy we want taking an interest in Yibo.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah.”

“What should we do?” Wenhan asks, sounding truly desperate.

Seungyoun doesn’t know how to explain to Wenhan that they’re not exactly in a position to do anything where someone like Qián Huíshùn is involved.

“Should we call Yixuan? Or tell Han-ge?”

“Ah, hyung, this...there’s nothing they can do.”

“So, what? I just have to sit around and do nothing while Yibo keeps getting involved with dangerous men? What is going on with him? Do you think he has a drug problem?”

Seungyoun snorts. “It’s something like that.”

Yibo’s penchant for putting himself in dangerous situations is close enough to him having a drug problem.

“You think this is funny?” Wenhan asks, sounding furious.

“Not even a little bit,” Seungyou swears. “There’s not much we can do right now. We just have to keep an eye on him.”

Wenhan is quiet on the other line for a minute before he speaks up, voice much quieter than before.

“I hate this.”

“I know.”

\-------

“This is all getting out of hand.”

Peng Chuyue rolls his eyes and says, “actually, it’s going exactly as we planned it.”

Xiao Zhan glares at him as he shrugs and takes a pull of his drink.

“Qián Huíshùn was not supposed to be the one Yibo was getting close to,” Xiao Zhan argues, slumping further down into his seat.

“Right, we underestimated his ability to pull,” Peng Chuyue says. “In hindsight, that was our mistake, we have all the evidence we need that he can attract Bosses right in front of us.”

“Fuck you,” Xiao Zhan says, adding his finger for good measure.

“He’s already gotten us a lot of information,” Yixing pipes up, before Peng Chuyue can antagonize Xiao Zhan further.

Xiao Zhan shakes his head but takes a sip of his drink, unable to deny Yixing’s claim.

Yibo has gotten them a lot more information about Qián Huíshùn and his operation than they’d expected after such a short amount of time. He’s also gotten more marks on his skin that weren’t put there by Xiao Zhan.

“You should stop underestimating him,” Peng Chuyue adds. “You’ve seen what he can do. He’s not some helpless kid.”

“I don’t _care_ ,” Xiao Zhan says, nearly slamming his fist down on the table. “It’s just him against all of Huíshùn’s men. It doesn’t matter what he’s capable of when he’s up against that many all alone. He’s doing too much, I need to tell him to stop.”

“Is this really about Yibo’s safety?” Yixing asks.

Xiao Zhan scowls, he doesn’t appreciate his very real concern being called into question, he feels like he’s the only person who gives a shit about Yibo’s well-being lately, including Yibo himself. The fact that he’s also struggling with his jealousy is a separate issue entirely.

“It’s not that I don’t think you’re worried about him,” Yixing placates. “I just think there might be a little more at play here that could be clouding your judgment.”

Xiao Zhan runs a hand through his hair and sighs. The truth is, the last time he’d seen Yibo he’d asked him not to leave any marks, because if someone - Huíshùn - saw it, he might get upset. 

So, sure, Xiao Zhan is maybe pouting about it a little more than he should, and maybe he’d sabotage this whole operation if he were the only one with any say in how it went down.

But the fact remains that his concern for Yibo is legitimate and should be taken seriously.

He doesn’t understand why Yibo is willing to go to such great lengths just for Xiao Zhan to enact his revenge. Sometimes, he gets the impression that Yibo is even more insulted on Xiao Zhan’s behalf than Xiao Zhan is for himself.

When he expresses that thought out loud, Yixing and Peng Chuyue look at each other and then at him, eyeing him like he’s had one too many drinks already.

“What?”

“Lǎobǎn, that boy has been in love with you since the moment he met you.”

Xiao Zhan rolls his eyes.

“Neither of you were even there when we met.”

“Sure, but we’ve heard the story enough times from the guys who were.”

“Can’t believe my company is full of a bunch of gossips,” he mutters into his drink.

They grin, and Xiao Zhan will never admit it out loud, but their words do some work to ease the slight ache that’s been growing since Yibo’s started this thing with Qián Huíshùn. 

As does the ping he gets in the next moment of a picture from Yibo, wearing nothing but the necklace Xiao Zhan gave him. 

\---

Yibo whines as Xiao Zhan keeps pushing into him, oversensitive and overwhelmed. Xiao Zhan kisses his sweat damp skin and somehow finds a way to hold him closer, wishing he could find a way to make every inch of their skin touch.

He rolls his hips into Yibo again who squirms and pants and mouths at Xiao Zhan’s neck, having gone non-verbal after the second time he’d come. 

At this point, Xiao Zhan is really not even fully hard inside of him, but he’s not interested in stopping yet, just letting his hips keep them together a little longer.

He combs Yibo’s sweaty hair off his forehead before he kisses him, his nose, his cheeks, his chin, his eyelids. He keeps kissing every part of Yibo’s face until Yibo whines again and moves his head to catch Xiao Zhan’s lips with his own. 

They’re both sucking in their breath, so the kiss isn’t exactly passionate, but Xiao Zhan still feels like he can soak in just that much more of Yibo through his mouth.

After a minute, Xiao Zhan rests his forehead against Yibo’s, studying his face as much as he can from this angle.

Yibo opens his eyes to look up at him and when he does he gives him a lopsided grin.

“You’re cross-eyed,” he pants out, words losing some of their amusement as they come out vaguely slurred.

Xiao Zhan snaps his hips up in retaliation to the teasing and Yibo yelps and latches onto Xiao Zhan’s shoulders, as if he’s trying to climb Xiao Zhan to get away from his punishing hips.

“Mercy, mercy,” Yibo says, pressing his lips against Xiao Zhan’s ear and holding him tighter, despite his pleading words.

“You’re more sore than normal,” Xiao Zhan notes, bringing his hand down to squeeze the small, tight muscle of one of Yibo’s buttcheeks.

Yibo squirms again in his hold, but doesn’t beg for mercy again, just lets out a soft breath against Xiao Zhan’s ear.

“Qián Huíshùn is too rough with you,” Xiao Zhan says then, frowning when he shifts and Yibo whines.

“Mn, I guess. Shìzhōng is worse. But that’s just cause we’re always rushing.”

Xiao Zhan huffs. “I don’t know why you’re still focusing on that guy when you already have Qián Huíshùn.”

Yibo moves his head back to look at him, eyes searching for a moment before he leans in to press their lips together once again.

“I’m just using every avenue I have available to me right now,” Yibo says once he’s moved back enough to speak.

Xiao Zhan tries not to sigh, he knows this, has been told this by Ayanga, and Yixing, and Peng Chuyue already that Yibo playing both men is the right thing to do for now. He cannot wait for all of this to be over, and he’s not spending every minute that Yibo isn’t in his arms wondering if he’s in someone else’s, or worse, if they’ve found him out. 

Despite Yixing and Peng Chuyue’s claims, Xiao Zhan would take Yibo in the arms of a dozen other men if that’s what he wanted, over any of those men hurting him. Those are the nightmares that he wakes up from night after night, of blood covering Yibo’s face, most of it his own. Xiao Zhan doesn’t think he’d be able to handle it if it ever came to that.

“Plus,” Yibo adds when Xiao Zhan fails to respond. “Huíshùn was never part of the plan, I’m sort of just running with that while keeping my original plan going in case something falls through with Huíshùn. I’m still kind of confused about his interest in me, I thought he was married.” 

Xiao Zhan quirks an eyebrow. 

“He _is_ married. That’s why he’s not always around, his family lives in a different city.” 

“Oh,” Yibo says, then frowns as he looks deep in thought about that. 

Xiao Zhan can’t help but laugh and kiss that pout. 

“You’re not married, are you, Zhan-ge?” Yibo asks then. 

Xiao Zhan laughs again. “No.” 

That seems to ease the tension between Yibo’s eyebrows a little. 

“What if you were?” 

“What if I were?” 

“Would I still be here if you were?” 

That stops Xiao Zhan short. 

He’d like to believe that once he’s married he’ll stay faithful to his spouse, up until a few months ago he never would have questioned whether he could be or not. Yibo barreling into his life and bed has complicated things somewhat. He can’t say for sure that if he ever gets married that he’ll be able to easily never touch Yibo again. He doesn’t really like thinking about it. 

So, he just hugs Yibo closer and says, “I have no plans to get married anytime soon, _tiánxīn_.”

Yibo tucks his head into Xiao Zhan’s neck and doesn’t say anything, but Xiao Zhan doesn’t miss the way Yibo’s fingernails dig just a little bit harder into the skin of his back.

\---

“Where are you off to?” 

Yibo stops on his way to the door and looks back to see Wenhan leaning against the doorway to the kitchen.

“Out.”

“Uh huh, thank you for clearing that up.”

Yibo sends him a hard glare, he doesn’t dignify that with a response and starts walking toward the door again.

“I talked to Seungyoun,” Wenhan says quickly.

“Good for you, maybe you should talk to him some more and stop bugging me.”

“Where’d you get that outfit?”

“Why are you so interested in my clothes lately?” Yibo asks, turning back around to face him.

“I could ask Qián Huíshùn the same thing,” Wenhan shoots back.

“Yeah, that’ll go well,” Yibo says, rolling his eyes.

“So, you at least acknowledge that he’s a dangerous guy?”

Yibo frowns. “What’s your point?”

“What are you _doing_ , Yibo? First, Xiao Zhan, now, Qián Huíshùn. Do you have a death wish? Are you in trouble? If you need money-”

“I don’t need money,” Yibo says with a laugh, though nothing about this conversation is particularly funny.

Wenhan takes a step toward him. “I don’t understand what’s going on with you lately. And you refuse to tell me anything. What am I supposed to think when every time you go out it’s to see guys like that?”

“You’re not supposed to think anything,” Yibo tells him. “Don’t worry about what I’m doing.”

“How?” Wenhan exclaims. “Tell me how I’m supposed to stop worrying about you!” 

“Trust that I know what I’m doing!” Yibo yells back, feeling the pain that’s been simmering under the surface these last few months begin to boil over. “Just because you don’t know what I’m doing doesn’t mean that I don’t. I’m not that thirteen year old kid anymore. I grew up, and I’m okay!”

Neither of them speak for a long time after that, though Yibo can see Wenhan’s eyes look as watery as he knows his own are. 

After several minutes, Wenhan crosses his arms.

“What do I do when you don’t come back one day?” he asks quietly.

“That’s not gonna happen.”

“You don’t _know_ that.”

Yibo sighs. “Truthfully?”

“Please.”

“If that ever happens, call Xiao Zhan. He’ll take care of it.”

Wenhan scoffs. “He’s one of the ones I’m worried about.”

“Don’t be,” Yibo says, meeting Wenhan’s eyes, hoping to convey the truth in his words. “You don’t have to worry about me when I’m with him.”

“How-” Wenhan cuts himself off to just look down at his feet.

“Trust me,” Yibo presses, taking a step toward him, not quite close enough to reach out and touch him. “I promise I’ll be okay.”

Wenhan shakes his head back and forth a few times before he finally looks back up at him.

“Okay,” he says, resolutely, possibly more to himself than Yibo.

“Okay?”

“Promise me you’ll be careful, and if you _are_ in trouble you’ll tell me. Or Xuan-ge, or Seungyoun, or someone who I know has your best interest at heart.”

“I promise,” Yibo says, not sure if he’s lying or not. 

“Okay,” Wenhan says again with a nod. “Good.”

“Can I go now?”

Wenhan sighs and waves him off. 

“Don’t wait up, I’m not coming home tonight,” Yibo says, just in case.

“Fine, just be careful.”

Wenhan turns around to make his way back into the kitchen and Yibo takes the opportunity to wrap his arms around him from behind.

Just as quickly, Yibo releases him from his small hug and makes his way back to the door, before Wenhan gets any ideas about hugging him back.

As always, a car brings Yibo to Qián Huíshùn’s house. 

Not his main one, Xiao Zhan had informed Yibo that Qián Huíshùn has a different, bigger house in another city, where his wife and child live. Thankfully, Yibo doesn’t think he’ll ever be invited to that house. 

This house though, Yibo knows it pretty well by now. He hasn’t been in every room - not for lack of trying on his part - as Huíshùn usually just likes to bring him straight up to his bedroom. Though he’s familiar with the kitchen, and the pathway to get there. As well as the sitting room where Huíshùn had taken him once, Yibo had been able to hear Huíshùn’s men for how close they had been stationed to that room, which he can only assume had been the point of taking him there. And then there is the office that Shìzhōng had pulled him into when Qián Huíshùn had to leave early for “work” right after the sitting room incident. 

So, Yibo feels like he has a fairly comfortable understanding of the layout of the house, as well as the alarm system and guard rotation that they use. Enough to share with Ayanga to use as a supplement to his own research anyway. 

“You look nice tonight, Bo-zǎi,” Lau Shìzhōng says when Yibo enters the house. 

Yibo beams at the compliment.

“Thank you,” he says, looking down at himself for a moment. “Did you have a good week?”

Shìzhōng grins and nods. “Met up with my brother, actually. He’s-”

Yibo never hears the end of that sentence as he’s yanked roughly backward. He stumbles back and looks up to see Qián Huíshùn glaring daggers at Lau Shìzhōng. Huíshùn doesn’t say a word though, just uses his grip on Yibo’s arm to drag him up the stairs.

Lau Shìzhōng doesn’t follow them, except with his worried gaze.

As soon as they enter Huíshùn’s room, he slams Yibo up against the door.

“You more interested in Lau Shìzhōng than me?” 

“N-no.” 

“Really? Because, for some reason, I keep catching you with him.” 

Yibo shakes his head. “He was just asking me a question.” 

“What question” 

Yibo bites his lip. “He just asked me where I got my outfit.” 

“And?” 

Yibo looks up through his lashes. “I told him you gave it to me.” 

There’s a glint in Huíshùn’s eye now, some of the anger bleeding out into fiery possessiveness.

“That’s right, I did. He will never buy you clothes this nice, _bǎobèi_.” 

“I-I know.” 

Huíshùn pulls Yibo away from the door, not as rough as before, but the movement is still jolting. He brings his hand to the side of Yibo’s jaw, thumb circling over Yibo’s ear. 

“He would never think to include these earrings. He wouldn’t understand that this face should be decorated. He wouldn’t be able to give you the things you deserve.” 

Yibo whimpers at the possessive hold and words and brings his hands up to grip Huíshùn’s collar. 

“I was just being nice because I thought you wanted me to,” he says in his most desperate sounding voice, widening his eyes for good measure. “I don’t like him, just wanna give you whatever you want.” 

Huíshùn growls and with that, nearly throws Yibo onto the bed. He tears at Yibo’s pants as Yibo pulls off his own shirt. 

Yibo is fully naked when Huíshùn lets him sit up again, kissing him unrelenting and overpowering as always. He sits at the edge of the bed as Huíshùn stands between his legs. Yibo unbuckles his belt and slides the zipper down, making eye contact the whole time. 

Huíshùn barely has his pants off when the first shot rings out from somewhere further in the house. 

As fast as they were removed, Huíshùn pulls his pants back up and heads for the door.

“Don’t leave this room,” he says before running out. 

As soon as Yibo is alone, he grabs his underwear to pull back on.

That’s all the time he has before Lau Shìzhōng bursts his way into the room. 

“Where’d he go?” 

“I don’t know, he just left and told me to stay here. Zhōng-ge, what’s going on? What was that noise?”

Shìzhōng grabs his arm and pulls him out of the room. 

“We have to get you out of here,” he says, dragging Yibo down the side hallway. 

“Can’t I put on clothes first?” Yibo asks, annoyed at the state of dress he’s in. He probably should have made Huíshùn slow down earlier. 

Lau Shìzhōng lets go of his arm to quickly unbutton his shirt and throw it around Yibo’s bare shoulders.

Yibo rolls his eyes but puts the shirt on and follows him down the hallway as he buttons up. He can hear shouting from downstairs and hopes it’s all of Huíshùn’s men who are panicked and losing ground.

He’s a little surprised that Shìzhōng hasn’t just left Yibo to figure out what to do by himself, instead of finding his boss. 

“What’s going on?” Yibo asks again, holding onto Shìzhōng’s arm as he stops to look around a corner. “I’m scared.” 

“They cut off the alarm system and are blocking calls from going out. We just need to get you to the safe room.” 

Yibo curses to himself, he hadn’t known about a safe room, that’s probably where Huíshùn is now. He’ll have to take Shìzhōng’s gun and finish the job himself if he gets locked up with Huíshùn. He’d wanted to give Xiao Zhan the honors, he’ll have to apologize for it later. Maybe he can just wound him and incapacitate him long enough for Xiao Zhan to find them and finish the job. 

“Who is that down there?” Yibo asks, tightening his hold when Shìzhōng starts to walk again. 

“I-I don’t actually know.” 

Yibo has to fight his face to keep from smirking. 

“Lots of people want Qián-zong dead though.” 

Yibo gasps, “why?” 

Lau Shìzhōng finally turns around to look at him, his brow furrowed. “Do you really not know what Qián Huíshùn does?” 

Yibo focuses on making the most innocent face he can muster and says, “he owns the bar we met at, right?”

Shìzhōng curses under his breath. “I’m sorry Bo-zǎi, you don’t belong here, i-it’s my fault you got dragged into all of this in the first place, I’m gonna get you out of here though, okay?” 

Yibo blinks up at Shìzhōng, and for the first time, a genuine wave of affection for the man runs through him. He even sinks into it when Shìzhōng pulls him into a one armed hug and kisses the side of his head. It’s why neither of them hear the footsteps approaching.

“You!”

\----

Qián Huíshùn is furious.

He’d gone looking for someone on his team to help him and for someone to take care of Yibo. Only, he hadn’t been able to find anyone upstairs, and there is no way he’s running downstairs into that mess. Now, on his way back to the room he’s run into Lau Shìzhōng, who should be focusing on protecting _him,_ embracing Yibo, who looks like he’s wearing Lau Shìzhōng’s shirt. 

Everything becomes clear the moment he sees them together, and Huíshùn knows exactly what is happening. 

Lau Shìzhōng and Yibo nearly jump apart as he approaches and Huíshùn raises his gun to Shìzhōng’s head. 

“What are you doing?” Yibo asks, sounding panicked, probably shocked by the presence of a gun. 

“You did this,” Huíshùn says, ignoring Yibo to focus on the traitor. 

“Lǎobǎn, what?” Shìzhōng asks, eyes wide. 

“Whatever is happening down there, I know this is you. You haven’t been able to stand it that he chose me over you.” 

“This isn’t the time, we have to get you both to the safe room before they get up here,” Shìzhōng says, but his eyes are noticeably darker at the accusation. 

“Right, where someone is waiting to kill me so that you can try to take Yibo away. Face it, he doesn’t _want_ you.” 

“Shùn-ge, please don’t do this.” Yibo begs, scared and confused by the scene around him. 

“Tell him what you told me earlier, _bǎobèi_ , about how you were only nice to him because you thought I wanted you to be.” 

He looks to Yibo whose eyes are wide and pleading, Huíshùn does feel bad that he’s doing this is front of the kid, hopes this doesn’t make him too scared of him in the future, but it’s important for Yibo to see what Qián Huíshùn will do when people go against him like this, even if it’s someone like Shìzhōng. He really wishes it hadn’t been Shìzhōng. 

“Lǎobǎn, this wasn’t me, I swore an oath to you, I’d never go against you,” Lau Shìzhōng says. “I don’t know who is down there.” 

The shouting is getting louder and Shìzhōng turns toward the stairs for a moment before looking back, he lets his gaze fall on Yibo first before he looks back at Huíshùn, and, with that, any doubt in Huíshùn’s mind is wiped away. 

“I don’t believe you,” he says simply before he pulls the trigger. 

Yibo’s shout is almost as loud as the gunshot. His shocked face is splattered in blood, as is the shirt Shìzhōng had given to him. 

Huíshùn grabs Yibo’s wrist and begins to pull him toward the safe room, but before he can get them past the stairs, he’s cut off by a man he’s never seen before who is pointing his gun straight at Huíshùn’s chest. 

“What the fuck are you doing in my house?” he yells at the man. 

The man ignores him and looks at Yibo. “You okay?” 

Yibo nods. 

The man nods back and yells “he’s up here.” 

Before Huíshùn can raise his gun again, three more men make their way up the stairs, one of whom Huíshùn has seen before. Huíshùn knows that he’s one of Xiao Zhan’s men. 

He assumed Luo Shuǐxi had been found out, as he hasn’t heard from the man in months, he is surprised that Xiao Zhan had been able to trace Luo Shuǐxi back to him though. He’s even more convinced of Lau Shìzhōng’s involvement now. 

With the three new men carrying guns, Huíshùn knows he’s not going to be able to shoot his way out of this, he wonders if any of his men who were here tonight are even still alive at this point.

He drops his gun and holds his arms up, not convinced it’ll stop anyone from shooting him, that’s not usually how things like this work. 

He glances over at Yibo who, surprisingly, looks less scared than he had before. 

“Where is he?” Yibo asks the first man. 

Huíshùn frowns. But before anyone can answer or Huíshùn can ask what is going on again, someone else ascends the stairs. 

He recognizes Xiao Zhan easily. The man had burst onto the scene not long after the death of his uncle. Xiao Zhǐníng had been a middeling boss at most. He’d had a nice share of things, but never got in anyone’s way, stayed in his corner and was never particularly troublesome to the bigger groups.

That is, apparently, until someone wanted what Xiao Zhǐníng had, wanted to control that little corner and had killed him for it. Instead of them taking over, Xiao Zhan had emerged to take up his uncle’s mantle. He’d ruthlessly killed anyone even remotely involved in his uncle’s death. Due to his violent capabilities and his surprisingly good business acumen, his name and reputation have been growing and gaining traction in the underworld. 

Qián Huíshùn has been able to see the signs of his continuing rise for a while now, and had hoped to stifle it before it had gotten too far. It looks like he was too late. 

As soon as Xiao Zhan steps onto the landing, he doesn’t look at Huíshùn or his men, he looks at Yibo. 

“Who’s blood is that?” are the first words out of Xiao Zhan’s mouth. 

Yibo points to Lau Shìzhōng, where he lay dead on the floor. 

Xiao Zhan nods. “And the shirt? Also his?” 

“Yes.” 

“Take it off.” 

Yibo rolls his eyes but begins to unbutton the shirt anyway, Huíshùn is startled by the display, truly confused by what's happening. 

Before Yibo shows more than a flash of skin, Xiao Zhan is standing right in front of him, covering the view any of them might have. He shrugs out of his coat and when he steps away, Yibo is wearing it. 

Even with the coat buttoned, a large part of Yibo’s chest is still bare, showing off the necklace Huíshùn has never seen him without. Xiao Zhan places his hand on the necklace as Yibo looks up at him with eyes so fond that Huíshùn can’t believe he’d ever thought he’d been the recipient of a fond look from Yibo. 

“What the fuck is this?” he spits out, though he has a pretty good idea now of what actually happened. 

Xiao Zhan finally turns his attention away from Yibo to look at Huíshùn, eyes quickly switching to hard, and emotionless. 

“Qián _xiānshenɡ_ , I don’t think we’ve formally met before,” Xiao Zhan says, taking a few steps to stand right in front of him. “But from what I hear you’ve had your eye on me for a while now.” 

Huíshùn scowls, refusing to admit that he’d considered Xiao Zhan a threat.

“Luo Shuǐxi sends his regards.”

“Did you kill him?”

“Of course I did,” Xiao Zhan says, his grin mild and polite, as though they’re talking about the weather.

Huíshùn had been right to be worried about him. Xiao Zhan, after tonight, is going to be unstoppable on his rise to the top, and whoever wants to take him down will have their work cut out for them. Huíshùn almost wishes they’d keep him alive just to see how it’ll play out.

“So, are you planning to tell me how you were even able to get in here? Or will you just kill me now and get it over with?”

Xiao Zhan quirks an eyebrow up as his grin widens.

“You know Yibo, right?” Xiao Zhan asks then, reaching his arm out toward Yibo, who steps forward instantly. 

Xiao Zhan pulls Yibo to stand in front of him, showing Yibo off like Huíshùn is not intimately familiar with him. 

Yibo doesn’t even look at Huíshùn, just leans his head back against Xiao Zhan’s shoulder to look up at him, eyes adoring and solely focused. Xiao Zhan tucks his hand beneath the folds of his long coat that Yibo is wearing, a clear sign of who Yibo belongs to. 

Huíshùn can’t even use what he did to Yibo as a way to get a rise out of Xiao Zhan, because the look in Yibo’s eyes tells him that Xiao Zhan already knows, was probably the one who told him to do it and Yibo, devoted and adoring as he clearly is, had done as he’d asked. 

“I won’t bore you with the details of what we did to get here, Qián _xiānshenɡ_ , but there is still the question of what, exactly, I should do with you.” Xiao Zhan says, stroking his hand up and down Yibo’s torso. 

He leans down as though to whisper in Yibo’s ear, but speaks loud enough for Huíshùn to hear.

“Should I cut off every part of him that touched you, _xiǎo miányáng_?”

Yibo whips his head around to look up at Xiao Zhan then, looking a little less besotted and a lot more worried. Probably thinking of just how many appendages that would require him to remove.

\-----

Xiao Zhan’s is only just able to keep his hands from shaking as he wipes the blood off of Yibo’s face. Blood that Yibo has assured him three times now is not any of his own. He only became marginally more relaxed when they finally got to be alone and Xiao Zhan could confirm that for himself. 

They were far too lucky that Qián Huíshùn and his guards never once suspected Yibo, if they had, things could have gone so much worse. Xiao Zhan doesn’t think he has it in him to do this again, not with Yibo, not staying up worrying if Yibo will be safe. 

“You’re never going undercover again,” Xiao Zhan says once he’s assured that all the blood is gone. 

He throws the tissue away and when he looks back, Yibo’s eyes are turned down. 

“But everything worked,” Yibo says, voice softer than normal. “I-I thought I did a good job. You got him and I-I thought-” 

Yibo cuts off, biting his lip and bowing his head. 

“Hey, hey no, _tiánxīn_ , you were amazing, you were perfect. It’s me, okay? I’m just not cut out for worrying about you every minute for weeks at a time.” 

Yibo _had_ been perfect, even without realizing it, he’d set them up for success in a way none of them had originally anticipated. In their quick debrief on the way back to Xiao Zhan’s place, Ayanga commented that Yibo’s insistence on focusing on both men had helped play into the jealousy between Qián Huíshùn and his top man, which is almost certainly the only reason they’d been so easily blindsided. They'd been too focused on each other to anticipate the threat as they undoubtedly would have in any other circumstance.

Yibo frowns, but thankfully his eyes don't look quite as sad anymore. 

“Is it the sex? I can do it without having sex with anyone, next time. I can go in like I’m wanting to work with them or something.” 

Xiao Zhan shakes his head. He doesn’t know how to explain that Yibo having sex with other men is the least of his worries, though, if Yibo is willing to take it off the table, Xiao Zhan is not going to fight him on it. 

It isn’t really fair, Xiao Zhan has no plans to be exclusive to Yibo the way he would prefer Yibo to be exclusive to him. There are certain expectations of him, and Xiao Zhan won't forego all of that just because Yibo is starting to mean more to him than he was supposed to when he'd first brought him home. Yibo understands that, he knows who Xiao Zhan is and what they are _not_ to each other. He thinks he does, anyway.

The problem lies more in Xiao Zhan’s double standards with Yibo than he has with everyone else. The idea of Yibo getting hurt twists something in Xiao Zhan’s chest, and the possibility of him getting hurt because of Xiao Zhan feels like something he doesn’t ever want to know if he can live with. 

Xiao Zhan knows that if a day like that ever comes, nobody will be safe from his wrath. 

He doesn’t know how to explain that to Yibo, or anyone, really. He knows it’s probably not a normal reaction to have regarding someone who works for him and occasionally sleeps with him. It would probably be beneficial to both of them if Xiao Zhan held a firmer line with Yibo and maybe even reduced the sexual aspects of their relationship, just so Yibo doesn't start to get confused about where they stand.

“I really hope there isn’t a next time,” Xiao Zhan decides to say, instead of any of that. 

“Zhan-ge, after this, you’re gonna be even more powerful, the target on your back will only get bigger. There’s definitely gonna be a next time.” 

“We’ll figure it out when the time comes,” Xiao Zhan relents, hoping by then he’ll be able to convince Yibo that him sacrificing his own safety for Xiao Zhan’s is pretty much the opposite of what he wants. 

For now, he takes advantage of Yibo’s mostly naked state, as he never did change back into the clothes he’d left in Qián Huíshùn’s room. Xiao Zhan had retrieved them and given them to someone to destroy, just in case. He doesn’t want to risk Yibo’s name popping up in anyone’s stories about what happened tonight. 

Yibo clutches the back of his neck, accepting the kiss easily, as he always does.

He'll work on distancing himself another time. 

\----

Seungyoun wakes to the sound of a chime from a WeChat message.

He blinks away the sleep in his eyes as he fumbles to grab his phone.

He sees a message from Yibo, asking if he wants a manager position at one of Xiao Zhan’s bars, The Red Lantern.

From: Seungyoun  
_Why?_

From: Yibo  
_have a feeling that the archive might be under new management soon_

Seungyoun squints at his phone, trying to decipher his words, wondering if he’s just not awake enough to understand it, when he gets another ping, this one from one of the other bartenders he works with. 

From: Wooseok  
_Bro did you see this?_

With it, there’s a link to a news article attached showing there was an electrical fire that burned down the house of one Qián Huíshùn, completely destroying the house and killing everyone inside. 

Seungyoun groans and drags his hand over his face. 

“Oh, Yibo-ya, what are you involved in?” he asks the empty room. 

When, expectedly, no one answers back, he picks his phone back up to send Yibo his response. 

From: Seungyoun  
_Sure, that sounds great. Tell your Zhan-ge thanks for the offer_

Yibo just sends a smiley face back.

**Author's Note:**

> Warning cause I know this may bother some. Yibo has sex with multiple people in this fic. As he and Xiao Zhan are not actually together yet, he’s not cheating (the infidelity in the tags is refrencing someone else’s relationship) and Xiao Zhan is aware of the fact that he is having sex with other people (it’s never explicitly stated here, though it’s mentioned in Ruby and Gold, but so is Xiao Zhan during this time). All the Explicit sex is between Yibo and Xiao Zhan though, there is some kissing and starts to things with Yibo and others but I used all my normal fade to black powers on those. 
> 
> Other content warnings:
> 
> Infidelity: a married man has a sexual relationship with Yibo  
> Xiao Zhan talks about cutting off every appendage of the man he then eventually kills (the act happens off page though)
> 
> If there is anything else that you believe needs tagged, or a more clear content warning, please let me know!
> 
> I do still have more ideas I am planning to write (Yibo’s backstory, and a couple commenter suggested ideas) but again, if there is ever anything you think would make an interesting story or something you’d like to see in this series, please let me know. This universe has a hold of my brain so, I’m very much up for writing more of it.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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